Our Stories

Guest post by Angelika Byczkowski In no other medical field are patients subject to such vilification, suspicion, and coercion as in pain management. Chronic pain patients have been abandoned in the blind rush to “protect” us from addiction to opioids, without…

By Angelika Byczkowski I resent that we pain patients are essentially being called liars by the anti-opioid brigade, as they refuse to believe our pain is as extreme and debilitating as we claim. Some of the non-opiate medications they propose…

By Ralph Warren After a recent less-than-satisfactory appointment with my cardiologist, I was troubled by how common poor relationships between doctors and patients are. When did doctor and patient relationships, so necessary to the successful treatment of long-term illnesses, become…

By Michael Hyatt I am disabled. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic disorder that keeps me in constant pain every minute of my life. It is an invisible disease. You could look at me, and if you saw past…

By Laura Wells, Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer Fighter When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I found it hard to embrace the “Pink Ribbon” and all it stood for. I was not happy to be joining the club,…

By Deb Discenza Each of us knows someone that had a preemie and a tale to tell about the roller-coaster of the early birth. The stories often liken preemies to warriors and fighters as they struggle to live against all…

By Jeff Stimpson My 14-year-old son Alex was born 10 weeks premature, and spent the first year of his life in the hospital. About two months after his birth, he began to show signs of the autism that has since…

By Marlo Schepper Grolnic When I was 41 weeks pregnant, after what was supposed to be a routine ultrasound, my OB gave me the shocking news: my baby had a tumor in his heart. This tumor had a fancy name–a…

I am thrilled we are showcasing stories from the lives of patients directly impacted by the shortcomings of our healthcare system. Hats off to Brian Loew and John Novack at Inspire.com for partnering with us to do so. By rallying around patients and focusing on the issues that make a difference in their lives, we can bring about change for the better.